#Humblebrag: Readers asking about our fine work-of-art ‘treasure’ map in the July issue is just exhausting, ya know?

A boastful social media post ever-so-thinly disguised as a complaint — it’s called a humblebrag.

Well, I’ve been inundated with compliments and queries about the map that ran across two pages in the latest Advocate magazine. Of course, we love the attention.

It just shows that our readers have a good eye for something special.

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The map was not simply created with design software; our newest graphic designer on staff, Brian Smith, actually hand sketched these maps and painted them before they ever made it to the desktop. And he was a bit unprepared for how much work it would mean. That was the fault of the editors. We requested old, vintage-looking, like a treasure map …

Our super-sexy July centerfold

After all was done, he explained his process (and I felt kind-a bad).

First, he sketched the map in pencil. Then he made a frame from liquid frisket, a material that hardens to create a border so that paint will not bleed. Then he brush painted the background before peeling off the dried frisket. Using extremely thin Italian brushes, he painted the street lines and used a technical pen to write street names. Based on the text of the story, he separately illustrated anecdotes — bikes, trees, Texas Theater, Bishop Street Market, a UFO — the same way.

By Brian Smith

Then he had our photo editor, Danny Fulgencio, photograph the art and, separately, the smaller illustrations, so he could load them onto the computer and put it all together, later adding numbers corresponding with our list.

8 Comments

The map was not simply created with design software; our newest graphic designer on staff, Brian Smith, actually hand sketched these maps and painted them before they ever made it to the desktop. And he was a bit unprepared for how much work it would mean. That was the fault of the editors. We requested old, vintage-looking, like a treasure map …

1. A continued racist past.
2. Contributing to the marginalization to the East side of Oak Cliff
3. Their name is advocate Oak Cliff but they only advocate for the affluent.
4. They use funding as an excuse to only cover white culture.
5. They push a political agenda
6. They contribute to the negative consequences of Gentrification
7. They only cover half of the story when it comes to a place.
8. They act as a paid marketing campaign.
9. People buy into this propaganda.
10. They understand what they are doing.

I will push my own agenda in desiring economically diverse neighborhoods in Dallas. One way I do this is by criticizing a magazine company that may say they support this idea but pushes their own agenda that supports the revival of white flight.

Not going to concentrate criticism on one board. People will soon discover what you guys are doing.

I think it’s sad that you guys blatantly choose to separate the two sides. Especially because most of you are white. It’s terrible that you want to contribute to the history of racism that has occurred in Oak Cliff since it basically took fruition. You can deny this and say that it’s about business, but history will only tell.